Personal and medical decisions after learning that a fetus has a birth defect

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Personal and medical decisions after learning that a fetus has a birth defect

Women who learn that they are carrying a fetus with a serious birth defect are faced with difficult decisions. Facing such decisions requires as much information as possible and attention to many factors. These include your own and your partner's preferences and the specific type of problem the fetus has. For example, you may want to consider:

Whether to continue the pregnancy or end it. If the fetus has a severe defect, some women choose to end the pregnancy with a therapeutic abortion. Others want time to prepare themselves and their families for the birth of a child who has a birth defect.
Where to have the baby. If the fetus has a defect that will require surgery, it is best to deliver at a hospital that offers surgical services for newborns.
Whether to have a vaginal delivery or to plan a cesarean delivery (C-section), based on the fetus's condition.

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Author	Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH
Editor	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS
Associate Editor	Pat Truman, MATC
Primary Medical Reviewer	Renée M. Crichlow, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer	Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Last Updated	November 30, 2006

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Last updated:	November 30, 2006
Author:	Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH
Reviewed By:	Renée M. Crichlow, MD - Family Medicine, Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC

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